VTOL aircraft with angled thrusters

Abstract

A VTOL aircraft having a fuselage, a first wing extending from one side of the fuselage, a second wing extending from an opposite side of the fuselage, a first thruster supported on the first wing, a second thruster supported on the second wing and a propulsion system connected to the fuselage. The first thruster serves to direct a thrust of air at an angle toward an area directly below the fuselage. The second thruster is angularly directed so as to direct the thrust of air at an angle toward the area directly below the fuselage. The propulsion system serves to propel the fuselage through the air. Each of the thrusters is a jet engine. Each of the thrusters can be angularly moveable between a vertical position and an acute angle with respect to a plane of the wings.

I claim:  
     
       1. A VTOL aircraft comprising: 
       a fuselage;  
       a first wing extending from one side of said fuselage;  
       a second wing extending from an opposite side of said fuselage;  
       a first thruster means for directing a thrust of air at an angle directly below said fuselage, said first thruster means being a first jet engine supported on said first wing, said first jet engine being angularly moveable between a first position and a second position, said first position being directed to an area directly below said fuselage, said second position being transverse to a plane of said first and second wings;  
       a second thruster means for directing a thrust of air of an angel toward an area directly below said fuselage, said second thruster means being a second jet engine supported on said second wing, said second jet engine being angularly moveable between a first position and a second position, said first position being directed to an area directly below said fuselage, said second position being transverse to a plane of said first and second wings; and  
       a propulsion means connected to said fuselage, said propulsion means for generating thrust so as to propel said fuselage, said propulsion means being separate from said first and second thruster means.  
     
     
       2. The aircraft of  claim 1 , each said first and second jet engines having a selectable amount of thrust. 
     
     
       3. The aircraft of  claim 1 , said propulsion means being a pair of jet engines mounted on opposite sides of said fuselage such that a thrust therefrom is parallel to a longitudinal axis of said fuselage. 
     
     
       4. The aircraft of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
       control means contained in said fuselage, said control means connected to said first and second thruster means, said control means for controlling an amount of the thrust produced by said first and second thruster means.  
     
     
       5. The aircraft of  claim 4 , said control means for controlling the angle of the thrust. 
     
     
       6. A VTOL aircraft comprising: 
       a fuselage;  
       a first wing extending from one side of said fuselage;  
       a second wing extending from an opposite side of said fuselage;  
       a first thruster means supported on said first wing, said first thruster means for directing a thrust of air at an adjustable angle between vertical and an angle toward an area directly below said fuselage; and  
       a second thruster means supported on said second wing, said second thruster means for directing a thrust of air at an adjustable angle between vertical and an angle directed toward the area directly below said fuselage, each of said first and second thruster means being a jet engine having an inlet positioned within an area of a top surface of the wing.  
     
     
       7. The aircraft of  claim 6 , further comprising: 
       propulsion means connected to said fuselage, said propulsion means for generating thrust so as to propel said fuselage, the thrust of said propulsion means being parallel to a longitudinal axis of said fuselage.  
     
     
       8. The aircraft of  claim 7 , said propulsion means being a pair of jet engines mounted on opposite sides of said fuselage. 
     
     
       9. The aircraft of  claim 6 , further comprising: 
       control means contained in said fuselage, said control means connected to said first and second thruster means, said control means for controlling an amount of the thrust produced by said first and second thruster means.  
     
     
       10. The aircraft of  claim 9 , said control means for controlling the angle of the thrust and the force of the thrust. 
     
     
       11. The aircraft of  claim 10 , said control means for moving each of said first and second thruster means in coordination with each other. 
     
     
       12. A method of landing an aircraft comprising: 
       flying the aircraft toward a surface of the earth;  
       directing a downward thrust from a pair of wings of said aircraft toward the earth in an area directly below a fuselage of the aircraft;  
       reducing a force of said downward thrust as said aircraft approaches the earth; and  
       stopping said downward thrust when wheels of the aircraft touch the earth.  
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
       forming the aircraft so as to have a first thruster on one of said pair of wings and a second thruster on the other of said pair of wings, said first and second thrusters being angularly adjustable.  
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising: 
       angularly adjusting said first and second thrusters so as to move from a vertical orientation to an acute angle with respect to said first and second wings prior to said step of directing the downward force.  
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , said step of angularly adjusting comprising moving said first and second thrusters in even coordination.